How to Make Wonderful Dishes using Cardamom?

Tuesday 04 April 2023
How to Make Wonderful Dishes using Cardamom?

Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian, or hardcore non-vegetarian, you can always rely on cardamom to make your dish more flavorful and delicious. The “queen of spice” has garnered a name for itself for possessing a lemony aroma with a subtle tinge of sweet and spicy flavor.


About Cardamom

Before we dive into the recipes for beautiful cardamom dishes, let’s talk a little about cardamom. Cardamom is one of the most common spices that you will find in the kitchen. It is popular when preparing both sweet and savory dishes, such as garam masala. 

It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, which is also known as the ginger family. This ginger family also contains turmeric and ginger.

Its origin dates back thousands of years. Cardamom has different tales to tell on different continents at different times. 

Although there are a few more types of cardamom found in the world, the most common ones that you will spot in any supermarket or online store are black cardamom and green cardamom. 


Cardamom Benefits

Cardamom is a spice packed with rich nutrients that not only keep your physical health on track but also your mental health. But it also influences your mental health positively. 

There are numerous health benefits of cardamom, among which is its wonderful help in improving digestive health. It stimulates digestive enzymes that reduce or prevent digestive issues like bloating, constipation, acid flux, and flatulence.

Also, it is a great source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may help to lower the chances of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Its antioxidant properties help to fight the free radicals, which in return provides you with a robust immune system.

As it has a minty and lemony aroma and flavour, chewing only a couple of cardamom pods can help to improve your oral health. It may help to prevent bad breath, cavities, and several other oral health issues. 

Research also shows that cardamom is great for diabetics as it controls the blood sugar level. As a result, it may prevent the likeliness of diabetes. 


Some Recipe of Using Cardamom


Overnight Oats Jar ( Vegan Friendly)

Ingredients: 1 cup of Rolled Oats, 1 tbsp cardamom powder, 1 tbsp cinnamon powder, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 5-6 almonds, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 small banana( you can skip the banana if you don’t want your oats to be too sweet), 3-5 prunes, milk of your choice( almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk) 

Steps: 

  1. Take a medium-sized mason jar
  2. Put all the ingredients in the mason jar and stir it well with a spoon.
  3. Add the toppings of your choice like dried berries, fruits etc.
  4. Close the lid properly and leave it in the refrigerator to soak overnight
  5. Enjoy the yummy yet super nutritious breakfast in the morning. 


Things to Remember:

  1. You can only use water instead of plant-based milk. Just boil the water before adding it to the mason jar on low flame. 
  2. Even though it is called overnight oats, you can still have it for dinner or lunch. Just make sure to leave the oats in the refrigerator for about 6-8 hours. 
  3. The cardamom powder used in oats can balance the sweetness of cinnamon and vanilla extract. Also, giving it a unique flavour.  


Cardamom Rice


Ingredients: 1 cup of white basmati rice, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp cumin and coriander powder, 5-6 cardamom pods

Steps: 

  1. Soak the 1 cup of basmati rice in two cups of cold water for about 15 to 20 minutes to wash the rice properly.
  2. Take a medium-sized pot and put 2 cups of water, the rice, salt, cardamom pods, and other spices into it 
  3. Put the pot on medium-high flame and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. 
  4. After it’s cooked, wait for it to cool down and stir it well.


Things to Remember

You can remove the cardamom pods from the rice if you are not used to chewing them raw. However, consuming whole pods also has its benefits, it helps to improve digestion.

Note: If you want to make wonderful cardamom rice you can buy cardamom from our online store where we offer best cardamom to make amazing dishes.


Cardamom Chicken 


Ingredients: 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, 1 3 tbsp cardamom powder, 1 tbsp cumin and coriander powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp red pepper, 1-2 minced green chillies, 2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, chicken broth ¼ cup of freshly chopped coriander leaves, lime or lemon juice(optional) 

Steps: 

  1. Take the cardamom, cumin, and coriander powder, salt, red pepper in a small well and give it a good stir. 
  2. Rub the spice mixture into both sides of the chicken breasts to season them.
  3. Warm the olive or coconut oil in a large skillet on medium to high heat. 
  4. Cook the chicken breasts for 5 to 6 minutes until they turn brown in colour on both sides. 
  5. Cook the minced garlic in the skillet for about 1 minute
  6. Cover the chicken in chicken broth 
  7. Simmer it for 2 to 3 minutes until the broth has somewhat decreased
  8. Put some lime juice, green chillies and coriander leaves for a better taste.


Things to Remember: 

You can consume the cardamom chicken on its own or eat it with cardamom rice, brown rice, quinoa or chapati of your liking( wheat, millet, buckwheat, finger millet, or rice chapati). 


Cardamom Bread


Ingredients: 2 cups of coconut, wheat, almond, or oat flour, ¼ coconut sugar or white sugar, ½ cup unsalted and melted butter, ¼ cup warm regular milk or almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk or oat milk, 2 ¼ teaspoon dry yeast, 1 egg, 1 tbsp ground cardamom, 16-18 raisins. 14-15 cashews, 1 to 2 tbsp chia seeds

Steps: 

  1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom in a sizable bowl.
  2. Combine the warmed milk and melted butter in a different bowl.
  3. Spread the yeast over the butter and milk mixture, and then wait for it to foam for 5 minutes.
  4. To make a dough, combine the dry ingredients with the yeast mixture and egg.
  5. The dough should be smooth and elastic after being worked for 5-7 minutes on a floured surface.
  6. Grease the dough and dampen it 
  7. Knead the dough with raisins, cashews, and chia seeds 
  8. Take a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. 
  9. Apply the beaten egg and milk mixture to the loaf.
  10. If desired, top the bread with sliced almonds or pearl sugar.
  11. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow to the touch.
  12. Before slicing and serving, let the bread cool on a wire rack for a few minutes.

Black cardamom or green cardamom? Find out which variety suits your culinary preferences by visiting our informative page on the subject.


Cardamom Roasted Vegetable 


Ingredients: 1 peeled and cubed sweet potato, 2 large peeled and sliced carrots. 1 large cubed zucchini, 1 chopped onion, 2 tbsp ground cardamon, 2 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp salt, ¼ olive oil 

Steps: 

  1. Turn on the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
  2. Mix the sweet potato, onion, carrots, and zucchini in a large basin.
  3. Mix the cardamom, cumin, and salt in a small bowl.
  4. Put olive oil in the vegetables and mix it well
  5. Sprinkle the spices on the vegetable 
  6. Take a big baking sheet and arrange the vegetables in one layer
  7. Roast the vegetables in a preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes until they turn soft and brown
  8. Take the vegetables out of the oven and allow them to cool for a while 
  9. Finally serve it with a side dish, preferably any chapati or rice. 


Cardamom Ice Cream


Ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream, 4 egg yolks, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 5-10 sliced almonds, 5-6 cut unsalted pistachio, 5-6 sliced cashews, 1tbsp salt 

Steps:  

  1. Mix heavy cream, whole milk, cardamom powder, and cinnamon powder in a medium-sized saucepan. 
  2. Heat the saucepan 
  3. Take a separate bowl and whisk the egg yolks and sugar 
  4. Add the hot cream liquid to the egg yolk 
  5. Return the mixture to the saucepan, stirring continuously over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 10-12 minutes).
  6. Add salt after removing from the heat.
  7. Pour the mixture into a clean basin after passing it through a fine-mesh sieve.
  8. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  9. Follow the manufacturer's directions for churning the mixture in an ice cream machine.
  10. Put the churned ice cream in a container, and then freeze it until it becomes hard (about 4-6 hours).


Yogi Tea or Cardamom Tea(Chai) 

Ingredients: 20-25 peppercorns, 15 cloves, 3-5 cinnamon sticks, 20-25 crashed cardamom, 2-4 grated pieces of ginger, Black tea bag or loose tea, 

Steps: 

  1. Take 10 cups of water in a saucepan on a low-medium flame 
  2. To the pot, add ginger pieces, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and cloves.
  3. Stir occasionally
  4. Lower the heat, and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes.
  5. Add the black tea bags to the saucepan after turning off the heat.
  6. When the appropriate strength is attained, steep the tea for 5 to 10 minutes.
  7. After removing the tea bags, pour the mixture into a fresh basin or pot using a fine-mesh sieve.
  8. To taste, add honey or your preferred sweetener; mix to combine.
  9. Add milk or dairy-free alternative to taste, and stir to combine.
  10. Reheat the tea if necessary, and serve hot.

Things to Remember: You can drink this tea hot or cold. And store this batch and drink this again and again for about a week. 


Cardamom Coffee


Ingredients: 2 cups of water, 4-5 whole cardamom pods, sweetener(optional), milk(optional)

Steps:

  1. Put the coffee beans or grinds in your French press or coffee maker.
  2. Stir well after adding the ground or crushed cardamom to the coffee beans or grounds.
  3. Pour water into your French press or coffee machine and brew as directed by the manufacturer.
  4. Pour the freshly made coffee into a cup, and if wanted, add milk or cream, sugar, or any preferred sweetener.
  5. Enjoy your flavorful and aromatic cardamom coffee after a good stir.


Using Cardamom Pods or Cardamom Powder

There has been a debate on whether to use whole cardamom pods or ground cardamom. Therefore let’s settle this once and for all. 

Although cardamom pods and ground cardamom are two variations of the same spice, they have different flavours, aromas, and usages. 

Cardamom pods are whole and dried seeds of the cardamom plant. Usually, the hard outer shell of the plant is broken to get the tiny, black seeds from the inside of the pods. 

The flavour of cardamom pods is rich and blends sweet, flowery, and spicy components. They have a powerful, fresh aroma. They are frequently used to flavour rice dishes, curries, and sweets in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

On the other hand, ground cardamom is produced by grinding the tiny, black seeds found inside cardamom pods. Compared to entire cardamom pods, it has a stronger, more concentrated flavour with a smoky, slightly bitter undertone.

However, cardamom powder has a comparatively less life span. Therefore, it is better to make your own ground powder at home whenever you need it than to buy or prepare it in a larger stock. People also use nutmeg as a cardamom substitute, especially in the baking world. 

But it's important to remember that doing so would require more time and patience. The choice is yours! 

It is important to note that it depends on a person’s taste and choice, but yet there’s a general idea as to which provides what. 


Is Cardamom Very Spicy? 

Although cardamom has a mild warming and spicy flavour, it cannot necessarily be regarded as a “hot” spice like chilli peppers. However, it has a more nuanced flavour that has the undertone of a blend of citrus and sweeteners.

Also, it can depend on the amount of cardamom used in the dishes. The more cardamom you put in your dish, the stronger the taste is bound to be. 

If you are not used to spice, we suggest you use only cardamom pods initially to get used to its taste. Ground cardamom is slightly spicer than whole cardamom seeds. 

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